Analyzer uses Projects to keep track of your work. The Analyzer Project is simply a windows folder that contains the project items you create during data analysis. The source data files are linked to the Analyzer Project through table layouts.
For each Analyzer Project, Analyzer requires that you create an Analyzer Project file in the Project root that retains specific information about the files you were last working with. In this way, the next time you open an Analyzer Project file you can start working where you left off.
The Analyzer Project file has an .asi extension.
It is best practice to keep un-related project items or analyses in separate Analyzer Projects. When project items are related, you can easily segregate and group them within the same Analyzer Project by creating additional folders within the Project root.
Project items (procedures, table layouts, Views, and workspaces) can easily be copied from one Analyzer Project to another or between folders within the same Analyzer Project. You can also re-use project items (or copies of them) any time you need to analyze the same kind of data.
| | Table Layouts describe the record layout of the source data and let you define the fields Analyzer will work with. |
| | Views display data and act as templates for printed reports. |
| | Procedures let you repeat queries, perform complex analyses, and create custom applications. |
| | Workspaces let you share field definitions among tables and between other Analyzer Projects. |
There are several kinds of files associated with an Analyzer Project. Every Analyzer Project has a Command Log. Analyzer can also create index files, data files, and report files. These files are separate from the Analyzer Project file, but are linked to it.
By default, files created by Analyzer are stored in either the same Windows directory as the Analyzer Project or in the same project folder as the related project item used to create it, unless you specify another directory.
The Command Log is like a flight recorder. It records every command that you issue and the results of your analysis. Because it keeps a record of your activities in Analyzer, you dont need to remember how you arrived at a result in your analysis. You can use the Command Log to retrace your steps or to review the progress of your work.
Analyzer provides a default Command Log for each Analyzer Project file and also allows you to specify additional custom Command Log files as needed.
Command Log files have a .log extension.
Indexes let you access the records in your source data in a specific order. You can index data files on different fields, then work with the index files for further analysis. You can also use indexes to give you a sorted View of files that are too large or are impractical to physically sort.
When working with keyed data sources on an Arbutus Server, Analyzer indexing will not be available. Analyzer will automatically use the native index on the host system directly. For more information on native keys see Native and Key Fields.
Index files created by Analyzer have a .inx extension.
Analyzer generates three types of output files:
| | Data files are created when data is imported through ODBC and when Analyzer commands output data with an .fil extension. |
| | Report files are created when Analyzer generate reports as text or HTML files. |
| | Export files are created when Analyzer exports data in a variety of file formats for use in other programs. These files have file extensions that correspond to the programs for which they are intended. |